US Marine Corps/Warrant Officer Justin M. Pack
Four MV-22B Osprey's with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing staged at Camp Pendleton, California, December 10, 2019.
- US Marines from the 1st Marine Division in California conducted a regimental air-assault exercise as part of Steel Knight 20.
- An air assault allows Marines on the ground to maneuver and bypass enemy strong points to reach enemy weak points.
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Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California - In a magnificent display of combat power, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) demonstrated its ability to lift a regiment of Marines and their equipment over long distances in a very short period of time in Southern California, December 10, 2019.
Muddy and exhausted with dark clouds looming, the Marines trekked across a rain-soaked field, their footprints embedding into the mud with every weighted step. They marched toward the distant sound of rotor blades.
US Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallions and MV-22B Ospreys with 3rd MAW waited on the horizon, ready to fulfill their role and extract the warriors following a training event that began with inserting Marines from 1st Marine Division.
Overhead, two UH-1Y Venoms secured an unseen 3-dimensional perimeter, ready to provide support if needed. This is what a regimental air assault looks like.